Courts can trust Sammie's Friends

Related Media

The hired-gun lawyer for Louis Silva can try to confuse the facts all he wants but the issue here is simple: Should animals be returned to a man who was successfully convicted of mistreating his animals?

Some of these animals were in such bad shape, they died a horribly painful death.

Common sense says no, the statutes say no and we hope the court will say no.

We commend the district attorney for doing his homework and siding with what is right and the existing law. Munkelt, Silva’s attorney is highly paid to complain and we expect that, but the law’s the law, and right is right.

There is nothing complicated about this set of facts or what has happened here.

Sammie’s Friends and the taxpayers should be reimbursed for what they are owed to have taken proper care of this “owner’s” (Silva) animals that he neglected to the point of abuse. It’s bad enough Silva found the funds to pay for this high-priced private attorney, but yet not provide the funds to adequately feed and provide medical care for his animals. But now the taxpayers are having to support him and his private lawyer to boot, while he argues with a straight face that he can no longer pay for an attorney for his defense and yet still wants his animals back. How will he care for them if he’s that broke?

Let’s not forget, he was abusing them when he had the funds to pay his expensive attorney.

If Silva had no funds for his animals in the first place, and no money to pay his attorney Munkelt now, why would he expect the court to return these animals he abused (when he did have funds)? Common sense would lead one to believe if he’s too broke to pay this lawyer now why would we reasonably expect him to feed and provide medical care for any animals returned to him now?

Surely no right-thinking person would want this for these animals. These are not pieces of furniture we are talking about, but living creatures who deserve to be properly cared for, meaning fed and given medical care as needed.

We can trust Sammie’s Friends to take good care of these animals. The owner should have to pay restitution for the horror and misery he caused them.